Original Motown songs and sounds coming to Nevada’s Talent Factory

Sunday

Jun 18, 2017 at 12:01 AM

By Marlys Barker Nevada Journal Editor

“Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” “The Way You Do The Things You Do,” “I Wish It Would Rain,” “Just My Imagination”… these are just a few of Larry Sloan’s favorite Temptations’ hits, and on Aug. 18, Sloan and others who join him at his Talent Factory in Nevada can hear these songs and more in one of the Nevada entertainment venue’s biggest shows yet.

The Temptations Review, featuring Temptations lead singer Dennis Edwards, is coming to Nevada.

“We were down in Branson, Mo., at the Legends Of Music show, where they (The Temptations Review) were featured. After their show, Cindy (Sloan’s wife and co-owner of The Talent Factory) and I approached them and asked of they still tour. Dennis confirmed that they do, and I asked for contact information and gave them our card,” Larry Sloan said.

The next week, “we got a call … to start discussions about what it would take to get them to our theater,” Sloan said.

Fortunately for the Sloans, their Talent Factory is becoming known to the entertainers from Branson. “From Billy Dean, to REZA the Illusionist, and Todd Oliver … they’ve spoken kindly of us.” Anyway, he said, “one thing led to another and we managed to negotiate a show (for the Temptations Review) at The Talent Factory.”

A little history for the younger generation: The website, classic.motown.com, refers to The Temptations — very popular in the 1960s and 1970s — as “The Emperors of Soul… this unique blend of voices and blade-sharp choreography (“The Temptation Walk”) is one of the defining legacies of Motown Records.” The website shares that The Temptations had 37 Top 40 hits, including 15 Top 10 songs. The quartet soared to No. 1 on the R&B charts, where they had 15 No. 1 singles and 17 No. 1 albums.

Sloan said, “Dennis Edwards joined the Temptations as the lead singer in 1968. He was inducted with them into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame in 1989 — so he is a legitimate heir to the group and name. He performed under the name, The Temptations, but got into a dispute with Otis Williams, the only other living member of the Temptations and the only living founding member of the original group. Otis was a background singer that got featured in a few songs, but he owned the name. Dennis Edwards agreed to use the name, ‘The Temptations Review, featuring Dennis Edwards,’ to settle the dispute.”

The Temptations Review includes Paul Williams Jr. (son of original Temptations member Paul Williams), David Sea, Mike Patillo and Chris Arnold.

When they come to Nevada on Friday, Aug. 18, Sloan said the plan is for one show (unless it sells out and they agree to a second). The show would start at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets are expected to go on sale any day; watch The Talent Factory Facebook page for details.

General admission tickets will sell for around $30; meet and greet tickets (for those wanting to personally meet Edwards and his group), with VIP seating in the first few rows, will likely sell for $45. The meet and greet would take place from 7 to 7:20 p.m.

The Sloans believe the opportunity to see the Temptations Review in Central Iowa is a rarity and something they are excited to offer.

“I believe they performed at the Iowa State Fair last year,” Sloan said. “They appear in Branson occasionally, and tour. They are scheduled in Kansas City the week before they will be here. They have shows scheduled in Michigan, California and New York.”

Sloan said the Temptations Review show will be full of Temptations’ hits, and to have Dennis Edwards and this group coming to Nevada ranks right up there with the top performers they’ve been able to bring into the historic Nevada theater.

“These guys are iconic. This is some of the original Motown sounds and songs that so many grew up with. Louie Anderson was of course, the king of comedy for us, and Billy Dean is a true country star, but Dennis Edwards of the Temptations, predates them all,” Sloan said “This is a milestone to be sure. Usually these kind of entertainers perform in front of thousands of people. To get this caliber of talent to come to a 400-seat theater in Nevada, Iowa, is simply unbelievable. As with Louie and others at this level, it takes a lot of negotiating and some good old-fashioned dumb luck. We’ve had some of both.”

The Sloans believe that one thing they’ve got going for them is their ability to build solid relationships with their entertainers and with the entertainment industry.

“It’s all about building relationships, and treating people right,” Sloan said. “Your word matters — a lot.”

Sloan said he wants to thank Jack and Carol Vincent for agreeing to help sponsor this show, along with other business sponsors they are picking up for the show. He said they will name and thank all of these supporters after they finish contracts for the show. But he knows how incredible important the local support is if they want to continuing doing what they do.

“When we began operations in late 2012, we wanted to be able to offer a level of entertainment that is normally only found in large metro areas, and bring those acts to our hometown, Nevada,” Sloan said. “We hope that we have made good on that promise, and we want the people in our community to know that we will continue to provide an outstanding level and variety of entertainment for everyone — adults and family. We like to believe that our success is also Nevada’s success.”